We're 12 games into the 2026 MLB regular season, so it's time to react strongly to what we've seen so far
By Matt Snyder Mar 27, 2026 at 9:29 am ET • 8 min read 
Getty Images The 2026 Major League Baseball season started with a 7-0 Yankees win over the Giants Wednesday night, but MLB uses the Opening Day branding as long as it is the first game for any team playing that day, so we have three days this week. We'll focus on Thursday, when 22 teams played their first of 162 games.
Baseball fans know it would be foolish to overreact to anything that happens in just one baseball game, but sometimes you just have to get that sweeping conclusion off your chest. Plus, we haven't seen real MLB action since the 2025 season ended, so this is the first chance we've had to fire off those takes. Here are some of those inevitable overreactions, along with a snap judgment on whether it's a reasonable reaction or not.
The WBC hurt Paul Skenes
Paul Skenes just had the worst outing of his MLB career, and it wasn't even close. He coughed up five runs on four hits in two-thirds of an inning. That's right. The Cy Young winner with a career 1.96 ERA didn't even finish the first inning in an eventual 11-7 Pirates loss to the Mets.
Since this came on the heels of Skenes joining Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, I fear this outing will be held to similar scrutiny as a hitter slumping after taking part in the Home Run Derby. Things happen in baseball and people who know this still try to find underlying reasons behind fluky occurrences.
There's just no need. Skenes will be fine. The Mets have what looks like a good offense, plus, did you watch the inning? Skenes deserved to give up runs, but not to this extent. There were two walks, but the Juan Soto single was weakly hit, and the Jorge Polanco single was one of the weakest of the day. And then Oneil Cruz happened. He misplayed a liner into a three-RBI triple and then lost a ball in the sun for an RBI double.
A reasonable outcome with a good center fielder would've been Skenes allowing two runs. That isn't good, but it isn't the disaster it ended up looking like. And who knows, he might've settled in after that.
Verdict: He's fine. Nothing to see here.
The Dodgers are the best team ever
The Diamondbacks had a 2-0 lead through four innings, and things were interesting. Then the Dodgers dropped the hammer and cruised to an 8-2 win and looked every bit the two-time defending champions who are the best team in baseball. They are inevitable.
Verdict: The Dodgers are stellar. There don't appear to be true weaknesses, and maybe they'll be an all-time great team. Just remember that last season they started 8-0 and won their last five games, but in between they went 80-69. There will be some down stretches.
The Brewers are still better than the Cubs
The Brewers have won the NL Central four of the last five years and five times since the last time the Cubs secured the division in a full season. The Cubs had the lead for most of the first half last season, but a 30-4 surge from the Brewers in July and August meant it was all the Brew Crew again in this division. Heading into 2026, every projection system and many prognosticators, including your CBS Sports experts, have the Cubs winning the Central. Let's check in on their scores against what look to be two of baseball's worst teams this season.
Brewers 14, White Sox 2
Nationals 10, Cubs 4
After giving up a leadoff homer, Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski was completely dominant, striking out 11 in his five innings of work. The Brewers' offense drew 10 walks and collected 12 hits, including two homers.
Over in Wrigley, Cubs starter Matthew Boyd was pounded for six runs on six hits in 3 ⅔ innings despite the wind screaming in from left field. The runs weren't cheap. The Nats were pounding the ball. Boyd gave up seven hard-hit balls. Overall, the Nationals collected 11 hits and hit three homers, again, in very tough hitter conditions.
The Brewers looked dominant and the Cubs got their butts kicked by a bad team.
Verdict: No worries here. There are 161 games to go. It's a long season. Remember, the Cubs had a four-game lead after a July 4 win last season and the Brewers won the division by five games. I'll stick with the Cubs as my pick.
The Orioles are back
It would be hyperbole to say everything went wrong for the Orioles last season after two straight playoff berths, but an awful lot went wrong -- some even off-the-rails wrong.
There were some very good signs in their 2-1 win Thursday.
First off, they won without Gunnar Henderson or Pete Alonso doing much of anything and those two will hit plenty. Secondly, Adley Rutschman, who has been broken offensively for at least a season and a half, was 2 for 4 with a double. And while the two runs aren't a big offensive day, keep in mind Twins ace Joe Ryan is a top-flight starter. Once he was out of the game, the Orioles got on the board.
On the mound, Trevor Rogers worked seven scoreless innings. Remember, he was amazing last season after coming back up from the minors with some adjustments after a terrible 2024 stint with the O's. He might well be working his way up into ace territory.
Then, at the end of the game, closer Ryan Helsley took care of business. He was one of baseball's best relievers from 2022-24, but fell on hard times with the Mets in the last few months of last season. The Orioles took a chance. Now armed with an effective splitter, Helsley struck out three and was sitting 100-101 with his fastball.
Verdict: I'm bullish on the Orioles' chances to bounce back and make the playoffs this season. There were several good signs here. Let's run with it and say it was real.
Padres rotation is worrisome
The Padres' starting rotation to start the season is Nick Pivetta (great in 2025, but mediocre before that, with concerns it was an outlier season), Michael King (only one full, healthy season as a starter and it wasn't last year) and a bunch of question marks.
Pivetta was shelled for six runs on seven hits in three innings by the Tigers. He struck out four but also walked three. He didn't look good at all. He and King were supposed to hold this thing together.
Gulp.
Verdict: I was concerned before the game and I'm even more so now. I'm aware it's only one game, but this was a tenuous situation to start with.
The Astros demise is in progress
The Houston Astros were a force for nearly a decade. They were the American League wild card in 2015, missed the playoffs with a winning record the following year and then ripped off a stretch of seven straight seasons in which they made the ALCS. There were four AL pennants in there, along with two World Series titles, the only two in franchise history. Through 2024, the Astros won seven straight division titles in full seasons. And then last year, the Astros finally missed the playoffs. Nothing really felt fluky. They just weren't awesome anymore.
Heading into this season, they still have the look of a possible contender, but would anyone be truly shocked if they missed the playoffs for a second straight season? That hasn't happened since 2013-14.
On Thursday, they lost 3-0 at home to the Angels. The Astros only collected three hits. Angels starter José Soriano has good stuff and shut them down for six innings, but the Astros offense stayed hapless against Walbert Ureña, Chase Silseth, Drew Pomeranz and Jordan Romano out of the bullpen.
Meanwhile, the Angels scored three runs in three innings against the Astros' bullpen.
They had the look of a terrible team being kept in the game by a great starting pitcher (fans of late 2018 baseball could call this a "deGrom").
Verdict: I believe the Astros decline will continue this season. I'll take no playoffs and fewer wins than last season.
AL Cy Young race is already hot!
The top two finishers in AL Cy Young voting last season were Red Sox lefty Garrett Crochet and Tigers lefty Tarik Skubal. Both were on the hill Thursday. The lines:
- Crochet: Win, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K
- Skubal: Win, 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
Filth and dominance, as expected. Skubal allowed two singles with one out in the first but got a strikeout and groundout. He then cruised until giving up an unearned run in the sixth. Crochet dealt with a major jam in the sixth, but then got two strikeouts to strand the bases loaded.
Verdict: There's the possibility that others like Cole Ragans, Hunter Brown or a Mariners starter like Bryan Woo or Logan Gilbert enter the mix, but I'm fully expecting this to be a fun race between Crochet and Skubal. I predicted Crochet in the preseason and I'm obviously sticking with him. Only 32 more starts to go.
Mike Trout on track again
The three-time MVP (and four-time runner-up) went through some injury woes and then only amassed 1.5 WAR in 130 games last season. He did hit 26 home runs, but the concern was him fading into just a home run hitter. He entered his age-34 season on Thursday and hit a home run, drew three walks and stole a base. And just look at the home run.
Ah, the majesty. Vintage Trout? Dare we dream?
Verdict: Please be real. Please be real. Please be real.
I believe!
The White Sox suck again
Uh oh.
Verdict: They will not be the worst team in baseball. Past that, no promises.
Join the Conversation comments
